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The Lewis and Clark Exposition, 1905

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The Lewis and Clark Exposition, 1905

The Lewis and Clark Exposition was hosted by the city of Portland from June 1 to October 15, 1905 in fairgrounds on the northwest edge of town. Covering over 400 acres, the fair showcased exhibits from various nations and states, and it promoted the economic potential of the Pacific Northwest region. The exposition had 1,588,000 paying visitors, of which more than 400,000 were from outside the Pacific Northwest. Portland had a population of only 120,000 at that time.

“The formal layout imitated the “White City” of Chicago’s magnificent Columbian Exposition of 1893. The majority of the exhibition buildings overlooked the lake from the ridge where the Montgomery Ward (now Montgomery Park) building would later stand. A wide staircase led downslope to the lake, the amusements, and the U.S. government buildings on a peninsula in the middle of the lake. The buildings (which were cheaply made from lath and plaster and intended for quick demolition) were in the “Spanish Renaissance” style with domes, cupolas, arched doorways, and red roofs. The federal building looked like a cross between a railroad depot and a Mexican cathedral.” — Source: Oregon History Project

“The Trail” was an 800 foot-long street that featured amusements and carnival attractions, and included one of Martin Couney’s incubator baby exhibits. Not much is known about his exhibit here. In the following 10 years, he seems to have focused on his business of permanent exhibits at amusement parks, including Denver, Atlantic City, Chicago, Coney Island, and Minneapolis, although there may have been others. His next known exhibit at a Worlds Fair was at the Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco in 1915l

Below, a map and birds-eye view of the exposition.



Martin Arthur Couney

Martin Couney Exhibits in World’s Fairs and National Expositions

Martin Couney Sideshows in Amusement Parks

Recent Books

General Articles

General articles about Martin Couney and his exhibits are linked below. Additional links may be found in specific posts about his participation in expositions or sideshows.

Keep in mind that many of these were written before the full facts about Martin Couney’s background became known, or have not incorporated that new information, so they include information from his self-invented background legend.

Last Updated on 02/05/23